Center Thermal Surface Technology

Thermal Surface Technology - uniquely multifunctional

The IWS has been honing its expertise in thermal surface technology for many years. Any kind of surface – metal, plastic or ceramic – can be coated and refined in a procedure which is unique in Europe. The most important techniques established at the IWS Center for Thermal Surface Technology are:

laser buildup welding

alloying by laser

laser hybrid technologies

plasma spraying

HVOF-/cold gas spraying

suspension spraying

wire/vapor spraying

thermochemical coating

laser hardening

laser induction hardening.

Its pronounced materials knowledge qualifies the IWS to offer complete solutions for complex tasks from various industries, alone or in collaboration with its industrial and scientific partners. Materials and process engineering expertise are enhanced by well-proven systems engineering expertise. In addition to laboratory solutions, our customers also benefit from the IWS ability to implement technological developments incl. applicationspecific hardware and software components in industrial production. Research findings can be implemented in practice rapidly – this means an important competitive advantage for our customers.

The IWS’s many different customers employ thermal surface technologies in the automotive, energy, oil, gas and medical device industries, as well as in aeronautics, tool and die-making, and mechanical engineering. The parts range in size from a few millimeters to several meters. The production of coated or refined parts ranges from single-part production for use in space travel to series with millions of parts per year in the automotive industry.

Product solutions created at the IWS are regularly checked and analyzed in-house in our material laboratory in the development stage. The results, in turn, are incorporated into the process design. The customer receives a proven solution with respect to process and material.